Mother Love Bone – Shine Ep (1989)

Seattle, 1988. Before the worldwide mass exposure created on the so-called grunge scene and its characters, a genre that suddenly was self proclaimed the soundtrack of Generation X (sic), there was a short-lived band who certainly opened the gates of stardom to all, this band was Mother Love Bone!

The first one to draw national media attention to the region, a contract with a major record company (PolyGram), putting the early Seattle scene definitely on map. Alongside with Soundgarden, Melvins, Mudhoney, Nirvana and Alice in Chains, this prominent quintet had only a two year living, with a full length (posthumous) album and an Ep. With no more than 20 shows held, one west-side mini tour, two videoclips and a lot of hype around them, MLB was a comet of love.

Led by a flamboyant Andrew Patrick Wood(January 8, 1966 – March 19th, 1990), who previously created with its first band Malfunkshun, an alter-ego stage persona called, L’andrew the Love Child, a response to the Satan worship metal cliché, Love Rock 333 (their sound) was the title that Andy glimpse, much based on its personal rock faves: Kiss, Queen, Elton John and Marc Bolan. Andy’s exuberant personality, outlandish clothes and funny lyrics helped bring attention to the band.

Mother Love Bone

But the path the band was predestined to follow was subtly interrupted by Andy’s od on March 19th, 1990. He had historical problems with cocaine and heroin since 1985(its first rehab), after the tour opening for The Dogs D’Amour, on mid’s 89, he checked himself into rehab and passed the last four months of the year sober. Their full length album was recorded during this time. With the turn of the decade, high expectations on Apple began to arise, as its three remixings and a certain pressure.

A righteous future was broken when its fiancée Xana la Fuente, found him on a comatose state lying on the bed of their apartment. After three days in Harborview Hospital, living on a life support, Andy was diagnosed with hemorrhage aneurysm; together with its family and band members, with A Night At The Opera playing, holding hands around the bed, they decided to plug out the life support and let him go.

Andy Wood

Six months later the basis for Pearl Jam was formed and started to rehearse. Temple of The Dog was recorded on the end of the year, with two songs made directly to Andy (Say Hello 2 Heaven and Reach Down) it was Chris Cornell’s last homage to his friend, they also lived together for six months. Both Ten and TOTD releases happened on early 1991 and hits the musical charts in different ways, yet Seattle’s scene had already been paved by Andy, the love child. (RIP)

Let’s go to their history:

We will let Malfunkshun and Andy’s complete story to a dedicated post on the future, however, there is a very nice documentary about them directed by Scot Barbour.

By 1987, Andrew was living in Seattle and hanging out with Jeff Ament(bass) and Stone Gossard(guitar), members of Green River. It wasn’t long before the three of them were writing together, and as time went by they became closer. In late 87, early 88, Lords of the Wasteland started playing occasional shows, with the inclusion of Bruce Fairweather(guitar), though the repertoire was composed of covers.

By the time of their last show, Andy, anxious for success, left Malfunkshun and started to dedicate all his time for the new band. Stupid names like Dum Dum Boys or Daddy Long Legs were suggested, but it was from Andy’s mind that the band would be recognized: Mother Love Bone.

Promo

Regan Hagar (Malfunkshun’s drummer) was replaced by Greg Gilmore(10 Minute Warning) and the band changed their name, after a week of persuasion. They got into the studio as soon as possible and recorded 10 songs including, Holly Roller, Stargazer, Lady Godiva Blues and Capricorn Sister. The demo was recieved by Kelly Curtis (later the manager of Pearl Jam). Kelly made it possible for the band to record another demo, this one was sent to Geffen records who paid for them to make a third demo. With songs like Bone China, Crown of Thorns and Captain Hi-Top.

The demos made it out to a bunch of different companies, so the band waited through the summer and it paid off; they got a lot of calls from labels that heard the demo and they finally decided to signed with Polygram. They even got their on label on the company, Stardog Label. This process took place during February / August 1988.

They returned home and signed Kelly Curtis as their manager. In early 1989 starts the process to their debut album Shine.The band went on tour for the album and then took a few months break, by September they were recording their next album.

Love Rock

In 1990 they had played around Seattle and gained much respect from local bands like Soundgarden and Melvins. The band had finished making their upcoming album Apple when Andy checked himself into a rehab program to deal with his addiction.

They were set to make their debut, when Wood died of a heroin od on March 16th.

Temple of the Dog was formed in Andy’s memory. The band included Stone Gossard, Jeff Ament, Soundgarden’sMatt Cameron and Chris Cornell, and the new guyEddie Vedder! After Temple of the Dog, Stone and Jeff got together with Eddie, Mike McCready and Dave Krusen to form Pearl Jam. Bruce Fairweather joined Love Battery and Greg played with Blind Horse and Endino’s Earthworm.

Let’s go to our record:

Andy Wood, Jeff Ament and Stone Gossard passed through the early80’s in Seattle with punk, hard, glam, arena rock bands, gigs, friends, shows and a whole scene of musicians. They’re one of the founders from the so-called grunge scene, and its here that this record gets something special and reveals us an other side. It doesn’t resemble anything from the heaviness or angst-filled lyrics and moods like Soundgarden, Melvins, Mudhoney, NirvanaorAlice in Chains.

Apple’s Photo Session

With a heavy-tenor(like Robert Plant) sung by Andy, its lyrics, persona and a sharp band, they got all bases from the american Hard / Glam, with some mellow ballads on piano and funky uptempos. These ego imaginary dreamy lyrics, ruled the short production of the band, yet they made also some mordacious, happy humor criticism, especially about catholicism, freedom of love, and the myth of commercial rockstar.

This is a small 5-track release, there are some proto grunge, hard rock, funk, an epic ballad, and a blues. The ‘IM’ highlights are for: Crown of Thorns, their most famous song, much covered by Pearl Jam, got a 8-minute piece, here with Chloe Dancerintroduction, the touching preamble reveals us some brute biographical lyrics based on choices, love, death and addiction. An almost forgot classic from modern rock!

Seattle’s Wall

Cameron Crowe’s film about love on the early 90’s, Singles, was set in Seattle. On the very beginning of the film we’re shown to a wall with Mother Love Bone name’s on it, still, Andy’s death interrupted any chance of sequel or international recognition.

And Capricorn Sister: One of the first made, a nice blues with an over the top performance by Andy, remembering us those old blue singers from the South. This song also appears on Apple, but Shine’s version is much better, on the very final there’s a little funny hidden-track, Zanzibar, check it!

The Ep was recorded in November 1988, during ten days (or five?). Lastly, there is a revealing excerpt of Scot Barbour’s interview about Andy’s final moments:

Single’s Wall

Scot: ‘Andy was allergic to everything, well not everything. But a lot of different prescription drugs & foods. In fact that’s the REAL theory of how Andy REALLY died. Andy actually survived the heroin overdose and it looked like he was going to pull it off and live. When he was in a coma he was given a few different drugs to help him come back from the coma. The back of his brain swelled up so badly that the top his spinal cord actually protruded his brain causing him to be brain dead.

That is when they decided to take him off Life Support. The belief is that his brain swelling was the result of an allergic reaction to at least one of the drugs that was administered to him during that time. Coincidentally, the patient records for the last 24 hours of Andy’s life are missing and have yet to be located. And Virginia Mason (?) Hospital in downtown Seattle has made no statement. (!)

Shine’s Tour

He wasn’t into drugs as much as people are lead to believe. Andy had just gotten out of rehab recently. And the heroin dose he overdosed on was extremely small. Another very coincidental thing was the Hospital had reported four other heroin od’s that evening Andy was brought to the hospital, it was definitely a ‘bad batch’ that had hit the streets and wound up in Andy’s arm.’ (!) Drum Bun!

Tracks Include:

1 Thru Fade Away

2 Mindshaker Meltdown

3 Half Ass Monkey Boy

4 Chloe Dancer / Crown of Thorns

5 Capricorn Sister / Zanzibar

Released: March 20, 1989

Credits

Artwork: Klotz

Bass: Jeff Ament

Drums: Greg Gilmore

Guitar: Bruce Fairweather, Stone Gossard

Photography: Charles Peterson

Producer: Mark Dearnley

Vocals, Piano, Lyrics: Andrew Wood

Notes

Recorded at London Bridge Studios, Seattle. //// Mixed at London Bridge Studio, Seattle.

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